Grace. “Or do you have something
against giving up a few hours of your time to help the less fortunate?”
Yes, Seth did actually. He liked spending his time the
way he wanted to spend it. But something told him he shouldn’t admit that to
Grace. He’d have to plead the fifth on that one.
“Because from where I’m sitting,” she continued. “Other
than wheelchair basketball, working out, and playing video games or watching
movies, you really can’t do much right now.”
“I work, too.” Occasionally.
Her lips twitched. “And how many hours does that
‘consultant’ job of yours take?”
“It depends on the week.”
“On average.”
Seth sighed and stopped rowing again. He wasn’t crazy
about the direction this conversation was headed or how it made him feel—as
though he only cared about himself, which wasn’t true. Seth gave money to the
homeless, donated to charities, and opened doors for the elderly. He’d hired a
mechanic to fix Lanna’s car without her knowing, organized basketball games for
his friends, and had even convinced Grace’s brother to keep playing with them.
He wasn’t totally self-centered. But the way Grace looked at him right now made
him feel like he was pretty close.
Seth frowned, feeling the need to put himself in a more
positive light. “How about this?” he finally said. “I’ll agree to volunteer if you agree to go with me.”
It was a brilliant suggestion, actually. If Grace
declined, Seth wouldn’t feel obligated to volunteer. And if she said yes, she
would have to spend time with him outside of work. Either way, he won.
“Oh . . . I, uh, don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Seth said with mock innocence. “Don’t tell me
you’re against giving up a few hours of your time to help the less fortunate.”
Grace leveled him a warning look. “No, but you’re my
patient. It wouldn’t be appropriate to do something with you outside of work.”
“But you came to the basketball game,” Seth pointed out.
“That was different.”
“How so?” Seth asked. “It’s not like I’m asking you on a
date or anything.”
“I know, it’s just—” She fidgeted, looking flustered.
Seth cocked his head to the side, molding his expression
into one of sympathy. “Think of the children, Grace. Think of the children.”
She rolled her eyes and threw up her hands in a gesture
of defeat. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I? Okay fine, you win. I’ll
go.” She gestured toward the machine. “Now row.”
Seth grinned and resumed rowing, suddenly feeling as
though he really were in a kayak, cutting through the waters on Lake Union. The
sun warmed his skin, a breeze whipped at his face, and the smell of lake water
lingered in the air. Or was that the smell of triumph?
G race looked
through Seth’s windshield, noting that the brown cinderblock building
looked old and tired, as though it had lived its life and now wanted to move
on. Artistic graffiti covered one side of the wall, almost like a mural, and a
sign that read Magnificent Minds was affixed to the wall next to a red
painted steel door. A teenage boy rode his bike down the sidewalk and stopped
outside the door, where he chained his bike to a stand. He had to pull twice on
the door to get it to open then disappeared inside.
From her comfy seat in Seth’s Land Rover, with its new-car
smell, Grace felt out of place. They should have taken her more understated
Nissan. At least the silver of her car would have blended in a little better
than the deep orange of Seth’s.
“If you think the outside looks bad, wait until you see
the inside,” Seth said from the driver’s seat.
Grace glanced his way, noticing the way his brown
Quicksilver baseball hat made his eyes appear darker than usual. His face was
clean shaven today, tempting Grace to run her fingers across his jaw line.
“You’ve been here before?”
Seth nodded, studying the building. “A few times.”
When he
against giving up a few hours of your time to help the less fortunate?”
Yes, Seth did actually. He liked spending his time the
way he wanted to spend it. But something told him he shouldn’t admit that to
Grace. He’d have to plead the fifth on that one.
“Because from where I’m sitting,” she continued. “Other
than wheelchair basketball, working out, and playing video games or watching
movies, you really can’t do much right now.”
“I work, too.” Occasionally.
Her lips twitched. “And how many hours does that
‘consultant’ job of yours take?”
“It depends on the week.”
“On average.”
Seth sighed and stopped rowing again. He wasn’t crazy
about the direction this conversation was headed or how it made him feel—as
though he only cared about himself, which wasn’t true. Seth gave money to the
homeless, donated to charities, and opened doors for the elderly. He’d hired a
mechanic to fix Lanna’s car without her knowing, organized basketball games for
his friends, and had even convinced Grace’s brother to keep playing with them.
He wasn’t totally self-centered. But the way Grace looked at him right now made
him feel like he was pretty close.
Seth frowned, feeling the need to put himself in a more
positive light. “How about this?” he finally said. “I’ll agree to volunteer if you agree to go with me.”
It was a brilliant suggestion, actually. If Grace
declined, Seth wouldn’t feel obligated to volunteer. And if she said yes, she
would have to spend time with him outside of work. Either way, he won.
“Oh . . . I, uh, don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Seth said with mock innocence. “Don’t tell me
you’re against giving up a few hours of your time to help the less fortunate.”
Grace leveled him a warning look. “No, but you’re my
patient. It wouldn’t be appropriate to do something with you outside of work.”
“But you came to the basketball game,” Seth pointed out.
“That was different.”
“How so?” Seth asked. “It’s not like I’m asking you on a
date or anything.”
“I know, it’s just—” She fidgeted, looking flustered.
Seth cocked his head to the side, molding his expression
into one of sympathy. “Think of the children, Grace. Think of the children.”
She rolled her eyes and threw up her hands in a gesture
of defeat. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I? Okay fine, you win. I’ll
go.” She gestured toward the machine. “Now row.”
Seth grinned and resumed rowing, suddenly feeling as
though he really were in a kayak, cutting through the waters on Lake Union. The
sun warmed his skin, a breeze whipped at his face, and the smell of lake water
lingered in the air. Or was that the smell of triumph?
G race looked
through Seth’s windshield, noting that the brown cinderblock building
looked old and tired, as though it had lived its life and now wanted to move
on. Artistic graffiti covered one side of the wall, almost like a mural, and a
sign that read Magnificent Minds was affixed to the wall next to a red
painted steel door. A teenage boy rode his bike down the sidewalk and stopped
outside the door, where he chained his bike to a stand. He had to pull twice on
the door to get it to open then disappeared inside.
From her comfy seat in Seth’s Land Rover, with its new-car
smell, Grace felt out of place. They should have taken her more understated
Nissan. At least the silver of her car would have blended in a little better
than the deep orange of Seth’s.
“If you think the outside looks bad, wait until you see
the inside,” Seth said from the driver’s seat.
Grace glanced his way, noticing the way his brown
Quicksilver baseball hat made his eyes appear darker than usual. His face was
clean shaven today, tempting Grace to run her fingers across his jaw line.
“You’ve been here before?”
Seth nodded, studying the building. “A few times.”
When he
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